Curt Carly fights back

Carly Simon, made famous by her song You're So Vain, has been told that she cannot move into one of New York's smartest apartment blocks after allegedly being "rude and disrespectful" at an interview with residents.

The singer is now locked in a bitter legal row over her rejection by the co-op board of the Dakota Apartments, a majestic building overlooking Central Park.

Interviews by existing residents are compulsory for anyone seeking to move into most of New York's grandest addresses. But Simon complained that her meeting with the Dakota's board was more akin to "an inquisition".

The singer has sued for the return of the deposit she paid on a one-bedroom flat.

"The board was rude and accusatory and appeared to have made up its mind before," said her lawyer, Steven Hochberg.

It was "very aggressive and impertinent in questioning Ms Simon", he argued in court papers filed for the case.